Pets often have a difficult time tolerating meats high in fat

 

By Dr. Jeanne Haggerty-Arcay

Jeanne Haggerty-Arcay

Thanksgiving this year will be especially difficult for many families due to the pandemic and restrictions placed on gatherings. Since the medical experts have recently warned of the dangers of even the smaller family gatherings, the small family unit is expected to be commonplace this year. More than in years past, we expect the family pets to be active participants in the holiday celebrations. During any other year, the holidays present a big challenge for many pets. Pet owners feel compelled to feed their pets part of what they prepared for the celebration, often leading to serious conditions. Dogs in particular do not tolerate high fat meats, seasoned foods and other human foods. It is typical for every veterinary hospital to be overflowing with sick pets in the days after every large holiday from pets being fed human foods and table scraps. But there are safe ways to allow your pet to participate in the celebration.

Keep it low fat. Pets often have a difficult time tolerating meats high in fat, especially when they are accustomed to eating dog food. This includes red meats of any sort, dark meat poultry, lamb, sausages, meat trimmings, poultry/fish skin and hot dogs. The higher the fat content, the more likely the meat is to cause an upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea or something more serious such as pancreatitis (a serious and sometimes fatal inflammation of the pancreas). If you feel inclined to share your feast with your pet, stick to the white meat portions of chicken or turkey.

Make sure all meat is thoroughly cooked. Pets are susceptible to the same food-borne pathogens that humans can get from eating raw or undercooked meat.

Avoid seasonings. Some common seasonings can be toxic to pets. Garlic and onion are the two most commonly used seasonings considered harmful to pets. They are not only used as common seasonings but are also found in many marinades and seasoning salts.

Avoid bones of all types. Poultry bones tend to splinter, causing trauma to the mouth and gastrointestinal tract. All bones can cause ulcerations as they move through the gastrointestinal tract and have the potential to cause blockages within the GI tract. Larger bones can also cause serious tooth fractures.

Be mindful of portions. Although you may be filling your plate as much as possible, remember in most cases your pet is much smaller than you. Your dog is unlikely to have the restraint to stop eating when he is full. More likely, he will just feel terrible later. Keep in mind that for a 20-pound dog, eating a 1-ounce cube of cheddar cheese is the equivalent of the average person eating two and a half hamburgers. Your chihuahua might think he needs to eat the entire turkey . . . but trust me, he doesn’t. Your pet will be happy with just a small sampling of something special.

If you prepare either white or sweet potatoes, save some of the cooked but unprepared potatoes as a treat. Dogs typically love them and they tend to be very well tolerated.

If you choose to feed snacks during the preparation of your meal, be sure to feed your pet from their bowl, not from the counter. This reinforces the behavior that they eat from the bowl and helps discourage begging. Dogs fed from the table or counter are more likely to become “counter surfer” as they see this as an acceptable means of getting additional snacks outside of mealtime. It is best to plan your pet’s meal to coincide with your meal.